Making the most of your eventing warm up

1. Think about the warm-up’s purpose

• From a physiological perspective, the warm-up is necessary to ensure the horse is physically ready to meet the competition’s demands. 
• Some horses warm themselves up quite naturally, whereas others take longer to loosen up their muscles. 
• Their physical needs of each horse will be unique to them and it’s important to tailor your warm up to reflect this.

2. Don’t use the competition warm-up to train

• By the time you reach the warm-up ring, your training should be in place.
• Think of it like long-term revision, versus cramming directly before an exam – if you have a structured revision routine that starts months ahead, you’re more likely to feel calm and relaxed on exam day.

3. Finding your mindset

• With your coach, identify any areas likely to cause stress, and come up with an on-the-day mindfulness system. 
• A nice tip is to take 10 breaths, paying attention to the quality of the breath; focus on calming and slowing the breath, so that by the 10th, you’re in control. 
• Identify aspects of ‘controllable’ performance, like your horse’s way of going. Accept the things you cannot control, such as people watching you. If we feel in control of a situation, we’re internally more confident,” she advises. 
• Imagine yourself riding a beautiful halt in the dressage test or riding the show jumping course in a good, balanced canter; when you come to do it, you’ll feel as if you’ve done it before. 
• If anything goes wrong, remember it’s a learning experience. Horses pick up on rider tension and event atmosphere; take a deep breath, give the horse reassurance, and think about your goals.

4. A system for the warm-up 

• “Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation” – Robert Schuller. A great way to sum up the need for a pre-planned warm-up system for each phase. 
• Work out how long it takes to warm the horse up on the flat at home. 
• Many horses (and riders) benefit from walking and relaxing before starting the warm-up itself; this also gives you time to watch the dressage or show jumping and alleviate some anxiety. 
• Having a system helps both horse and rider learn to be secure with their routine, even when the situation changes unexpectedly.
• Walking down to the warm-up with no clear system adds a lot of pressure; it’s comforting to have an existing, automatic process. 
• Don’t forget to reflect on your warm-up after the event, and what you’d like to improve.

5. Keeping the anxious horse calm

• For horses that get anxious or excitable at an event it is even more important to have a methodical process in place that can encourage the horse to focus on the repeatable system, rather than on the environment
• Encourage building up nervous horses’ tolerance to competition environments gradually; maybe start by hiring arenas. Keep the process consistent each time.

Warm‐up etiquette 

• Where possible, pass left to left. Riders working in trot and canter have priority over the track.
• If circling during jumping working-in, stay inside other riders, who should take the outer track.
• If you need to stop to alter clothing or tack, leave the ring.
• Look up when warming up; you can usually work out where riders are going based on their eye line.
• Most fences have a specific way to be jumped; generally, red flag on your right. If you’re not sure, ask!
• If you think a rider or pedestrian has not seen you are about to jump, call out and name the fence.
• Always be polite to other riders, volunteers and helpers in the ring.

Get the most from your warm-up

• Be organised and allow time, from your logistical preparation (packing, loading and travelling) to your own personal regime (declaring yourself to stewards, getting dressed, tacking up, etc.). 
• Tailor your show-day routine to each horse and don’t change your plan or be intimidated by anyone else! Remember that some horses and riders need repetition and routine, while others need a wake-up call and ‘psyching up’ for adrenaline. Lethargic horses and riders might benefit from going for a fast canter at the end of the physical warm-up, whereas stressed horses and riders often need to stay in a more low-key routine. 
• On the flat, work on getting your horse’s muscles warmed up using your tried-and-tested system, and incorporate the basics – rhythm, your ‘gears’, the horse’s reactions, your lead changes, the quality of the paces, etc. You should have a good idea of how much work your horse needs before peaking.
• Don’t do too much work that is energy sapping; save your best jumps for the ring. Practise your skills over a cross pole. Only move to bigger fences for final course preparation once the horse’s muscles are suitably warmed up. 
• Try to enjoy it and stay ‘in the moment’. Remember, once you are competing in the ring, it’s just you and your horse.